INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE V O L U M E X X VI
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Price Re. 1/- INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE v o l u m e X X VI. No. 3 May–June 2012 In recent years, the fragile ecosystem of the entire Imperilled Heritage Himalayan region has been under severe stress. The DISCUSSION: Himalayan Biodiversity crisis has been exacerbated by short-sighted human Speaker: Dr. Ajay Singh Rawat, May 2 intervention. Climate change and global warming are linked with retreating glaciers, flash floods following cloud bursts have become frequent, and forest fires Eminent environmental historian and keen ravage once thickly wooded hills. Developmental photographer Ajay Rawat presented an insightful imperatives have all but negated serious efforts at and thought-provoking illustrated talk on Himalayan conservation. To most of us dwelling in the plains, all biodiversity, focusing primarily on Uttarakhand. He this is too distant from our daily lives. There is urgent covered a wide gamut ranging from deforestation, need to put things in a holistic perspective before it is too land erosion and imperilled flora and fauna like rare late. This is what Ajay Rawat succeeded in doing during orchids and wild berries celebrated in folklore. The his talk. Addressed to the concerned citizen, it sought narrative was enriched with strikingly beautiful slides to engage the audience seriously, yet maintained a light and personal anecdotes regarding illegal mining, engrossing touch. It blended sociological, historical poaching and environmental degradation caused by and scientific streams to emphasize his points. burgeoning population pressure. INDRAJIT The descriptions available in several texts reveal Discovery of Akbar’s that in 1575, Akbar ordered the construction of the Ibadat khana by rebuilding the cell of Shaikh Ibadat Khana Abdullah Niyazi Sirhindi with spacious galleries on TALK: Identification and Discovery of Akbar’s all four sides and specific seating arrangements for Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri the nobles (east), Sayyids (west), Ulema (south) and Speaker: Dr. K.K. Muhammad. Chair: Professor sufi shaikhs (north). This structure was located near Mushirul Hasan, June 5 the Jama masjid and by the side of the imperial palace in Fatehpur Sikri. A pictorial presentation of the different aspects of The location and identification of this structure, Akbar’s rule provided the historical context for this however, has evaded a final answer. Dr. Muhammad erudite talk about archaeological explorations at excavated this site and discovered the remains of Fatehpur Sikri during 1981-83 and the discovery of a square pyramidal structure with three tiers and Akbar’s Ibadat khana (house of devotion). seating arrangements on all four sides surrounded Dr. Muhammad bridges the gap between the two by a wall. The western portion of this wall had five approaches to the past—the archaeological and the arches indicating the direction of prayer. These details historical. He uses ‘historical archaeology’ or text- were cross-checked with the literary descriptions and aided archaeology that takes the help of written a miniature painting from the Akbarnama to establish records to identify and locate the Ibadat khana, and the identity of the Ibadat khana. the first Catholic church of north India (briefly mentioned) at Fatehpur Sikri. MEEnaKSHI KHanna focus diary sect of Buddhism that holds this particular sutra in Buddhist Heritage high regard. DISCUSSION: Gilgit Lotus Sutra Manuscripts Eminent panelists Lokesh Chandra and Kapila Launch of NAI publication by Smt. Sangita Gairola Vatsyayan shared their personal insights into this Panelists: Dr. Lokesh Chandra; and Dr. Kapila nodal text’s history and significance, and expressed Vatsyayan deep concern for the fast disappearing cultural Chair: Professor Mushirul Hasan, May 3 memory of the Indian people. SEMINAR: Remembering the Bamiyan Buddhas On 7 May, a symposium was held on ‘Remembering Collaboration: Himalayan Research and Cultural the Bamiyan Buddhas’. Several speakers from the Foundation, May 7 School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University shared their insights into the complex socio-political factors that led to the destruction of Buddhism travelled to the East and West of India, the Buddha statues. Organized by the Himalayan and left behind a rich spiritual and cultural legacy Research and Cultural Foundation, headed by that demands our attention afresh in a world riven Professor K. Warikoo, the event began with the by conflict. Sometimes that conflict has directly launch of the 15th volume of their journal. The Chair, affected aspects of that Chinmay Gharekhan, legacy. At the same time, highlighted the Bamiyan there are positive efforts at valley’s strategic location revival and reconstruction and Lokesh Chandra traced that need to be celebrated. Bamiyan’s deep links with These two separate events ancient India, including centred on the world’s mention in the Rg Veda. Buddhist heritage: one Other speakers included celebratory, the other, several young research unfortunately, less so. scholars from Afghanistan On 3 May, The National currently studying at Archives of India’s JNU whose papers facsimile edition of reflected their personal the Gilgit Lotus Sutra and political engagement Manuscripts was launched with the region. One by Sangita Gairola. came away with fresh Chair Mushirul Hasan tidbits of information: for highlighted the work done instance, Hazara myths by the NAI, and asked for have traditionally seen the greater material support statues as those of lovers. Syed Raza, Mansoor to continue this urgent Ehsan, Rashid Ahmadi, task of preserving the Kh. Umarov, Mandira precious heritage of the Dutta and Ankita Haldar region. Akash Keji Ouchi read the Taliban’s actions from Japan read out a in demolishing the colossi congratulatory message via diverse lenses, from from Daisaku Ikeda, the poetic to the political. President of the Soka Gokkai International, a MAYA JOSHI 2 diary talks Golden Jubilee Lectures on Environment behaviour and the environment. Highlighting the Eclectic Ecology limitations of markets with respect to public goods, TALKS the commons and externalities like pollution and environmental degradation, he said governments What Ails Environmental Governance in India? had to step in with regulation and taxation in order Speaker: Professor Madhav Gadgil. Chair: to ‘get prices right’. Concerned that extreme climate Samar Singh, May 24 change scenarios could push India back to a 1960s- type situation or worse with low wheat and corn Economics and the Environment productivity, high food prices and reduced calorific Speaker: Professor E. Somanathan. intake among the poor, Professor Somanathan looked Chair: Professor Mahesh Rangarajan, May 31 at the neglected issue of rural pollution from wood and Uttarakhand Forests: A View from the Village bio-waste combustion. He also emphasized the need Speaker: Malika Virdhi. to increase incomes so that the poor could switch from solid fuels to low carbon ones like gas and use more Chair: Professor Pushpesh Pant, June 7 efficient stoves. Stressing the importance of reducing per capita energy consumption and fossil fuel use, he One subject, three perspectives, each unique, all said an internationally coordinated tax, cap and trade illuminating. mechanism would help finance the transition to more Professor Madhav Gadgil, one of India’s most efficient carbon use in the developed and developing illustrious ecologists, spoke with the authority of world, and could provide revenue for solutions to an internationally acclaimed expert who has been groundwater depletion. He called for better agricultural instrumental in formulating Indian environment policy research to boost productivity, lowering food and land and has interacted extensively with the government. In prices and thus allowing forests to expand. a devastating critique of environmental governance, With a degree in Social Work from Delhi University, he decried the pursuit of high GDP growth regardless some three decades of activism on grassroots of its costs as illusory and unsustainable, and said democracy, human rights and specifically women’s that environmental degradation and social strife rights, an enviable mountaineering track record were inevitable corollaries. He gave several examples and years of being sarpanch of the Sarmoli Village of state environmental agencies’ lack of honesty Forest Council in Uttarakhand, Malika Virdhi is an of purpose and execution: disregard of the Pronab amazing force of nature. Impassioned and extremely Sen Committee’s recommendations on ecologically articulate, she tore into the notion that Himalayan sensitive areas; denying access to and destroying degradation is the result of overpopulation, overuse material from the Zonal Atlas for the Siting of and the backwardness of hill communities. Arguing Industries; systematic blocking of scientific research on that it was instead the consequence of both geological forest areas; sabotage of grassroots natural resource processes and a systematic whittling away of local self- protection initiatives as in Plachimada; clearances to governance by the state and commercial interests, she purportedly green technologies, ignoring their actual said that increasing state intervention and the money impacts; and shifting of protection agencies away power of business groups were destroying complex from threatened locations to discourage filing of and highly effective institutions for ecosystem objections. As head of the Western Ghats Ecology maintenance and sustainable livelihoods such as van Expert